A client from here in Fargo brought his 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King to Audio Garage for some help with the stereo system. He already had a selection of aftermarket components on the bike, but the system didn’t sound good, and some of the speakers didn’t work. After a quick inspection, we saw that the wiring wasn’t very tidy. We talked to the customer about his expectations to decide how best to proceed with the project. Together, we determined that it would be most reliable to replace everything with new gear and make sure the installation was executed flawlessly.
Road King Stereo Upgrade
After disconnecting the old amplifier and speakers, our team set to work laying out the best location for each component. With the customer’s approval, we installed a Rockford Fosgate Power Series TM400X4ad amplifier to drive the new speakers for the system. This is a four-channel amp, but we wired it in a bridged configuration so that it can produce up to 200 watts of power to each of the speakers we’d be installing.
The amplifier is mounted to the outside of the right-side saddlebag using the amp mounting bracket from an RFK-HD14 amplifier wiring kit. The bracket includes additional cooling fins to help ensure the that amp will be reliable.
To make sure that the motorcycle could be serviced quickly, we used high-current connectors on the power leads from the battery to the amplifier and a weather-resistant Deutsch connector for the signal and speaker wires.
Invisible Motorcycle Source Unit Solution
The bar mounted button allows for safe smartphone control.
We wired a JL Audio MBT-RX Bluetooth receiver into the signal input to the amp so that the client can play whatever music he wants from his smartphone. He can also play streaming sources like Pandora, iHeartRadio or Spotify. We added a JBL Click Bluetooth remote control to the left-side handlebar so that the client can change tracks or adjust the volume on his phone without having to touch the screen. The Click makes use of the Bluetooth AVRCP protocol and connects wirelessly to the phone.
Harley-Davidson Rear Speaker Upgrade
Of course, a motorcycle stereo wouldn’t be a stereo without great speakers. We installed the Rockford Fosgate TMS69BL14 saddlebag upgrade system on the back of this bike. Unlike other solutions that include new lids that need to be painted, the Rockford kit includes grilles and mounting hardware that can be installed in the existing saddlebag covers. The installation only takes a few hours, and it looks and sounds amazing.
Fargo’s Motorcycle Audio Specialists
After we finished dialing-in the system to deliver maximum output and reliability, the client returned to Audio Garage to check out his bike. He loved the way it looks and sounds! If your Harley needs great tunes, drop by our shop, give us a call or send our team an e-mail.
Leave a Reply